From USATODAY.com: The number of pedestrians killed by hit-and-run drivers has jumped 20% since 2000 and is at its highest level in a decade.

The increase compounds the problems of investigating hit-and-run cases, which investigators say are among the most difficult crimes to solve because they often happen at night with no witnesses.

Of the 4,881 pedestrians killed last year, 974 died in hit-and-runs, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration records show. The total number of pedestrians killed nationwide increased by about 2% since 2000, but hit-and-run deaths increased at almost 10 times that pace, the USA TODAY analysis found. Rest of Article. . . [Mark Godsey]